OUR TURN: Pedestrian Safety

We get sick of hearing about those lists that rank states and cities based on positive or negative attributes, especially the negative ones.

Again last week, Louisiana found itself near the bottom of the list as it was called out as the third most dangerous state in the country for pedestrian safety. Baton Rouge had the distinction of ranking worst among Louisiana cities, landing in the bottom 20 of US cities on the Pedestrian Danger Index compiled by the group, Smart Growth America.

The people who put out the report blame poor street design for many of the fatalities. Baton Rouge city officials acknowledge that many older streets are dangerous for pedestrians to navigate, but they say newer streets are built to better standards. Speed is also a factor in many of the deaths. It’s important to remember that almost all of these accidents are preventable. We can go a long way toward improving this problem by behaving responsibly and teaching our children proper safety practices beginning at an early age.

That's "Our Turn." Now, it's your turn. To comment on this segment or anything else, visit us on Facebook or send an email to yourturn@wafb.com.